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There was a gasp last night when CEO Elon Musk revealed the glowing roadside icons to lure motorists into Tesla Motors' new "supercharger" stations, and it didn't sound like it was just for the electrical device's current-conducting attributes. Rather, the shocking feature was its shape.

Sure, the tapered tower looks a little like a stylized 1950s science-fiction rocket ship. That would make sense, given that Musk's other company, located right next to his design studio in Hawthorne, Calif., is rocket maker Space X. But it also looks a lot like an unabashed symbol of masculinity, not what you might expect as a sign for a place to plug in your electric car. Then again, maybe you would.

The symbolism is important. If Tesla's plans pan out, the tower will stand next to major highways around the country, beckoning Tesla Model S owners to come in for quick charge up. They would become part of roadside America, like fast-food stands or billboards for meteorite shops.

Asked flat-out if the choice was meant as phallic, Musk, who has something of a playboy image, deferred. "We were just trying to make it look like a cool futuristic thing," he told reporters.

The symbolism wasn't lost on Tesla's own staff. If you think the latest statue is a bit outrageous, you should have seen the original. The last concept was tossed only three days before its unveiling. Why? Concerns were raised about the shape, explained Vice President George Blankenship, by "a bunch of women."

Musk, says Blankenship, considers the icon to be "masculine" and "powerful," but he doesn't think the electric-car maker's leader read any more into it than that.